Strawberry Fields

The assassination of the British musician and Beatle John Lennon on December 8, 1980, shocked the world.

Immediately after his death, efforts were made to memorialize his life.

A dilapidated corner in Central Park, across from Lennon’s home in the Dakota building, was chosen to be the site for his memorial. Under the guidance of his artist wife, Yoko Ono, landscape architect, Bruce Kelly, and the Central Park Conservancy, a garden was chosen as the most appropriate setting for John Lennon’s memorial—for Central Park was where Lennon walked, mingled with people, observed nature, and reflected upon life.

Given the world’s love for the former Beatle, and Lennon’s desire for all to be united in love and peace, the nations of the world were encouraged to donate plants, shrubs, trees, and decorative rocks for the garden. Naples, Italy would donate the stones that would form the famous Imagine mosaic.

John Lennon wrote "Strawberry Fields Forever" because, as he stated in a 1968 Rolling Stone interview, “Strawberry Fields is just anywhere you want to go.” Liverpool’s Strawberry Fields is where the young Lennon escaped from his trials and tribulations. Amidst the wildflowers and secretive gardens Lennon found peace. It is where he wanted to go.

Walking through the meadows and greenery of Central Park’s Strawberry Fields is where we too can escape the burdens of everyday life to find peace and tranquility. It is there that we too can “imagine” a world that is one in freedom, love, and peace.

For those who love John Lennon and his legacy, Strawberry Fields is a must see in New York’s Central Park.